Those nasty Palestinians..

The running totals for children killed in Palestine and Israel are both depressing and illuminating. 52 Palestinian children have been killed, nearly all of them by direct Israeli Defence Force action. A single Israeli child was killed, not by the Palestinians, but by the IDF. This child was an eleven-year-old called Mahmoud Ibrahim Mahmoud al-Krenawi, "a Bedouin with Israeli citizenship living in the first recognized Bedouin city in Israel, killed by IDF gunfire to his head and pelvis while picking figs at the home of his half brother during an incursion in Saida, near Tulkarem".

Now, remind me again, which one is the civilised, peace-loving, humanitarian state, and which one is the nasty, evil, terrorist, maniacal state?

Joe McGonagle

Collective punishment

Stepping-up the genocidal process, Israel decided to cut-off fuel supplies to Gaza last month. This wasn't the first time they have done this - in June, they did the same.

Due to Israeli blockades, there are frequent power cuts, affecting water and sewerage services and Palestinian business's. This can only be seen as a continuation of Israeli policy to keep Palestine poor, ignorant, and weak as a form of "acceptable" genocide.

This has drawn criticism not only from the EU, but from the Israeli justice system as well. In response, Israel has threatened to invade Gaza yet again.

Israel's pretext for this is the increased level of rocket attacks from Gaza. These attacks are futile, simply providing Israel with excuses to conduct their programme of Genocide. When will the idiots firing these rockets learn?

Joe McGonagle

Catching up..

It's been some time since I updated this blog. In the intervening time, a lot has happened, both in my personal life, and in relation to Palestine. Apologies to Judith for the lack of activity, but Judith is aware of my current circumstances.

There are now two Palestines - the West Bank, controlled by Fatah, and the Gaza strip, effectively under the control of Hamas.

This plays directly into the hands of those sympathetic to Israel, and the situation was actually induced by the USA and the EU by withholding aid from a duly elected Palestinian Government. One could be forgiven for thinking that the situation was deliberately engineered through collaboration between Israel, the UK and the USA. "Divide and Conquer" strategies have been taking place in Israel and the Occupied Territories since Roman times (See Ch. 8 para. 5 of "War of the Jews", Titus Flavius Josephus, 1st Century(AD)).

While the different Palestinian factions are busy fighting each other, Israel can relax and take the moral high ground - allowing them to conduct "business as usual" with the media attention distracted elsewhere.

The Poodle has been retired, but was rewarded with the post of "International Middle East peace envoy". Fatah (Israel and the USA's preferred government) approve, Hamas doesn't. This is the man who if he didn't actually sanction, turned a blind eye to the transport of war materials (mainly bombs and ammunition) from the USA to Israel via the UK for use by Israel during their last attack on Lebanon. Not an ideal qualification for a middle east peace envoy, is it?

Talking of Lebanon, American-based human rights organisation "Human Rights Watch" recently published two report based on investigation of events which took place during the war. The first, published last month, was "Civilians under Assault: Hezbollah’s Rocket Attacks on Israel in the 2006 War". This is highly critical of Hezbollah’s tactics of hiding close to populated areas, and indiscriminate rocket attacks. The second report (published last week) "Why They Died: Civilian Casualties in Lebanon during the 2006 War" places the blame for excessive civilian casualties squarely on the Israelis. The only extract from the report that I will quote now is from the last paragraph of the section "Israeli Policies Contributing to the Civilian Death Toll" on pages 13/14 of the report.

"...they conducted numerous attacks that were indiscriminate, disproportionate, and otherwise unjustified. Such attacks are serious violations of international humanitarian law. To the extent such attacks were conducted with knowledge or reckless indifference to the civilian nature of those being attacked, then those who ordered these attacks would have the criminal intent needed for the commission of war crimes as defined by international humanitarian law. And to the extent that senior commanders or officials knew or should have known that war crimes were being committed, and were in a position of authority to stop the attacks or punish those responsible and did not do so, they would be responsible for war crimes as a matter of command responsibility under international humanitarian law."

Note the references to "war crimes" above. When victims of war crimes are European (Serbian, Bosnian, Kosovan for example) the perpetrators are hunted down, and if they are caught, they are tried at the European Court of Human Rights. I somehow don't think any Israelis will be tried for war crimes against Lebanon (or indeed Lebanese tried for war crimes against Israel).

When examining the morality aspects, consider the imparity between the two parties. The Israeli Defence Force is well equipped, disciplined, organised, trained, and funded. Hezbollah are poorly equipped, organised, disciplined, trained and funded. Which side ought to be better able to identify and punish war crimes?

A couple of final points before I reluctantly finish this update. There was a rocket attack on Israel from the Gaza strip yesterday, injuring about 70 Israeli soldiers, 4 of them seriously. These attacks do absolutely nothing to highlight the plight of the Palestinians, and actually damage any prospect of gaining international support. No doubt the Israelis will respond with their usual neglect for the safety of non-combatants.

Finally, 8 people were arrested in Israel on suspicion of conducting neo-NAZI attacks on homosexuals, drug addicts, and Orthodox Jews. When the victims are Jewish, it seems that Israel has no stomach for NAZIs, but when the victims are Lebanese or Palestinian, the Israelis are the NAZIs.

Joe McGonagle

Israel 'human shield' suspension

Full article is available at the BBC News web site.

The Israeli army says it has suspended a commander after the unit he led was accused of using Palestinians as human shields in a West Bank raid.

Amateur video footage shot earlier this week showed Israeli soldiers apparently forcing Palestinians to stand in front of their armoured jeep.

Israeli law forbids the military from using human shields.

The Israeli army said it was investigating the incident, which reportedly took place in Nablus.

[end quote]

This is a tactic used by the Israelis on a regular basis, the only unusual thing about this case is that they were caught in the act. When placed on the spot, the Israelis usually excuse their behaviour by saying that the Palestinians use similar tactics. This may be true, but I thought the Palestinians were bloodthirsty terrorists, and the Israelis were peace-loving, honourable, generous victims of the situation?

Pah!

Joe McGonagle

The poodle yelps at LFI Annual Reception

Last September, Tony (poodle) Blair gave a speech at the Labour Friends of Israel. Again, he betrayed a total lack of understanding of the situation, concluding his speech with the following:

"...So it will not be easy but one thing for all the criticism over the past few months, I can tell you this. I have never actually found it hard to be friend of Israel, I am proud to be a friend of Israel."

It reminds me of the scene in "The Life of Brian" where the prisoner was espousing the virtues of his Roman captors.

I can't make up my mind if he is just deluded, uninformed, or morally bankrupt. The sooner he goes, the better, he is starting to sound more like GW Bush every day.

Joe McGonagle

Palestinians carrying out Israeli objectives.

Much though I sympathise with the Palestinian cause, they are their own enemies much of the time.

BBC Journalist Alan Johnson is a good example. Alan was also sympathetic to the Palestinian people and in return for his efforts to expose the reality of Israeli oppression, he was rewarded by being kidnapped and probably murdered by the very people he was helping. The Israelis will be pleased because there is one less person to report on their actions, and also because it supports their projection of the Palestinians as brutal, ruthless murderers.

Another example of Palestinians doing the Israeli's work for them, is the conflict between Hamas and Fatah. If Palestinians go on killing other Palestinians, Israel will eventually be the uncontested "owner" of the occupied territories because there won't be anyone left to challenge them. Once again, Palestinian action lends support to the Israeli projection of Palestinians as bloodthirsty criminals.

The relatively recent flare-up of hostility between Hamas and Fatah was orchestrated by Israel, the USA, and Europe (especially the UK). By withholding financial support, social conditions in the West Bank and Gaza degenerated to such an extent that civil disorder was almost inevitable. This fact could not have been unexpected by the countries who withheld the aid, and they should be held accountable for their part in the humanitarian crisis which developed.

This does not excuse the stupidity of the Palestinians who fell into the trap that was set though. They should have realised that this was the objective of the USA and UK, and refused to carry out their dirty work.

Grow up Palestine and face the facts. Israel exists - no amount of denial will change that. Reluctance to acknowledge that fact and also recognise that they now have the right to exist by virtue of the fact that they have possession of the territory and the military might to hang on to it is like saying that men have the right to bear children, even though they do not have the necessary organs. History dictates that in these circumstances, the group with the power will prevail. What does Palestine stand to lose if they acknowledge the right of Israel to exist, and what do Palestinians stand to gain? Make the concession, gain strength, and when Palestine is in a position of power, wield that power. Just don't do so in the way that Israel is now doing.

Joe McGonagle

Labour Friends of Israel

In December 2006, I emailed a group called "Labour friends of Israel" as follows:

Subject: B'Tselem annual report
Date: Sat, 30 Dec 2006 07:01:13 +0000
From: Joe McGonagle
To: mail@lfi.org.uk

Hello,

Israeli civil rights organisation "B'Tselem" published it's
annual report two days ago. Some of the low-lights are:

* 660 Palestinians killed by Israeli security forces, at least
322 of which were not involved in active hostilities at the time,
and 141 of which were minors. This is in comparison to a total of
23 Israelis killed by Palestinians including 17 civilians, one of
which was a minor.

* Israel demolished in the order of 300 Palestinian homes,
rendering about 1,800 Palestinians homeless. The Palestinians
didn't demolish any Israeli homes.

The report can be read in all of it's gory detail at:

http://www.btselem.org/english/Press_Releases/20061228.asp

Please can you advise:

1) What pressure LFI is bringing to bear on Israel to curtail
their inhumane activities against the Palestinians?

2) Does LFI regard B'Tselem as a reliable source of information?
If not, why is that?

3) What are LFI's views about the contents of B'Tselem's annual
report?

Regards,

Joe McGonagle
(UK voter, Stoke-on-Trent)

Guess what? No response.

Taking a look at the members list of LFI is reminiscent of the "cash for Honours" scandal. Elsewhere, I mentioned a reported scam whereby US grants to Israel were being filtered back to lobby groups and political parties in the USA. Could something similar be happening here? Let's hope the "cash for honours" investigation turns something up.

Joe McGonagle

Israeli and Lebanese silence

In September last year, I sent a letter to the Lebanese Embassy, and emailed the Israeli Embassy and the British Foreign Office, requesting each of their perspectives on the incident which triggered the Israeli attack on Lebanon. I received the following from the UK FCO:

Dear Mr McGonagle

Thank you for your email of 30 September about the capture of two Israeli soldiers by Hizbollah on 12 July.

The Israeli authorities are clear that the two Israeli Defence Force (IDF) soldiers were abducted by Hizbollah from Israeli territory during an IDF patrol in Zar'it close to the Lebanese border. We are not aware of claims to the contrary by the Lebanese government. Once the soldiers were captured, some IDF personnel went into Lebanon in pursuit, some of whom were killed.

Steven [removed]
Head, Correspondence/Parliament Unit
Middle East Peace Process and Near East Teams
Arab/Israel and North Africa Group
Middle East and North Africa Directorate

W.2.80
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
King Charles Street
London SW1A 2AH

Email: [removed]@fco.gov.uk

I have had absolutely no response from the Lebanese or Israeli embassies. I find that difficult to understand - if either the Lebanese or the Israelis wanted to clarify the situation, this was their opportunity. I am inclined to put down the Israeli lack of response to embarrassment, but what of the Lebanese response? This really does call into question all of the rumours spreading about the trigger event, and I can quite understand why HMG take the view which they do in the absence of any official refutation from Lebanon.

Joe McGonagle